With tornadoes and severe thunderstorms reaching a wider footprint across the United States, Farmers Insurance is pointing brokers and their clients toward a checklist of preparedness steps ahead of peak storm season.
The carrier said homeowners, motorists and owners of recreational vehicles should revisit safety plans, confirm coverage terms, and review tornado readiness guidance before severe weather moves in.
While tornado exposure has traditionally been tied to specific regions, Farmers said recent events and its own claims data show tornadoes can strike a broader mix of areas, often with minimal lead time.
That observation has gained research backing. Work led by Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor Gensini has documented a roughly 400 to 500-mile eastward shift in tornado activity from its historical Texas-Oklahoma center, with higher frequencies now recorded across Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi and Alabama.
The Storm Prediction Center said 2025 was the third most active tornado season since 2010, with Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas setting record counts. The Southeast's denser population, higher prevalence of mobile homes and greater share of nighttime tornadoes make the shift particularly consequential for insurers.
Research cited by Scientific American shows the risk of death in mobile homes during tornadoes is 15 to 20 times higher than in permanent homes.
The push comes as severe storm losses have stayed above the $50 billion mark for a third straight year. Tornadoes, hail, straight-line winds and severe thunderstorms drove $51 billion in US insured losses in 2025, with total economic damage topping $68 billion, ranking the year the third-costliest on record for the peril.
Aon's 2026 Climate and Catastrophe Insight report found that severe convective storms (SCS) have overtaken tropical cyclones as the costliest insured peril of the 21st century.
Moody's analysis indicates US SCS insured losses reached $42 billion in the first nine months of 2025 alone, with average per-event costs running 31% higher than the previous decade's average.
Swiss Re's Balz Grollimund said urbanization in hazard-prone areas, rising asset values, higher construction costs and factors such as aging roofs have made these storms a key peril for insurers.
Industry analysis has also attributed as much as 90% of loss growth since 2000 to non-weather factors, including population growth in higher-risk areas, legal system abuse, and rising labor and construction costs.
"Tornadoes don't follow a calendar or respect state lines," said Greg Panhaussen, head of property product at Farmers and a board member at the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety.
Farmers recommends building a tornado safety plan identifying a shelter area such as a basement or interior room on the lowest floor, enrolling in NOAA Weather Radio alerts, and securing outdoor items. Clients should also photograph belongings and retain receipts for higher-value items to speed claims handling.
"Understanding your coverage before a storm hits can help reduce stress and speed recovery afterward," Panhaussen said.
